Hi everyone. I have had this car since summer 2013. No issues until this past March (2015) when the passenger door started making a rattling sound whenever I was driving. At first it sounded like the window was loose or something like that, though it happened regardless of whether the window was up, down, halfway, etc. So I took it to the usual mechanic and he said the "door striker" was damaged, and he replaced it. He said the door itself wasn't damaged, nor was the window, and he couldn't see anything else that was damaged.

I didn't hear the sound for a few days. Then it came back exactly as before. It sounds like something is rattling around inside the door, but sometimes I'll drive for miles and it won't make a sound, and then it will start back up and go crazy later, so it's hard to really pinpoint it. It seems to be worse when the roads are bumpy (I live in Houston where most of the roads are bumpy and filled with potholes), but then again I also hear it on smooth streets as well sometimes. Took it back to the same mechanic and he said he tightened it up more. Didn't hear it for about 3 months but now it's back, not as bad as before but still noticeable.

The mechanic says there's nothing damaged and no parts that need replacing. They said they can "tighten" it so that it won't rattle around, but they said if they do that then the door might be too tight against the car and from the exterior it won't be smooth with the body around it. I didn't really understand this because (1) if nothing whatsoever is damaged then why is it making this sound, and (2) if the only way to fix it is to pull the door so tight that it's out of line with the rest of the body, then how do these cars work fine when they're new and the door is in line correctly?

I posted this on the Maserati forum as well awhile ago but nobody really knew what was going on. I found this forum today so I am hoping someone here will be able to offer some suggestions. Thanks in advance.

OK - I think I know what's up. You were told door striker could be adjusted and that totally suggests that if adjusted tighter would fix the noise and would come to a stop in a bit more with side effects of not being in perfect line with next panel.

Guesses sport: I don't even see these around never mind touch them. Striker's are usually either a hoop on door jam or a bolt type and betting hoop.

Look at it and other door. Is it in line with the jam's paint or seem moved? Does or do these have a hard rubber or plastic such that they are tighter when shut not just metal to metal? If one side does and the other is missing that's the trouble! It could also be that door rubber in general is not as soft as it was once but bet it on striker itself or the latch on the door has a fault. Compare one to the other for any difference.

Assorted other vehicles will use (for ages) a small "toiled roll" of plastic that can spin and needs to or they break. Did 3 in last year alone and they do make door sound like a garbage can full of soda cans shaken.

See what you see one side vs the other that doesn't do this should reveal the problem IMO and just generic how vehicle doors latch not specific to this car whatsoever,

It looks pretty much the same to me, but I'm not sure if I'm looking at the right thing. Here are some pictures. Both sides seem to be in line with everything equally, and to answer your question yes they do have rubber along the inner part.

Excellent attempt at pics - very shiny is tricky to look thru! Driver's side in pics shows the striker in second frame with what should be fastened by Torx 45 size bits. Are they tight? Any paint evidence that there has been movement on that or the door jam 3 fasteners and are those tight as well. Seem to be another size Torx bolt as well.

This is mostly typical to me and can't see anything obviously wrong by pics.

Can you, with door closed carefully (sorry for term used) butt bump (yours without anything to harm door) make it move more than it should vs the other?

Not sure but might very carefully "scribe" with and do paper "Wite Out" it's exact location now and try to move it tighter just a slight bit by barely loosening those 2 Torx bolts and tap harmlessly in and close the door to first click then the butt bump gently to fully closed and see where it ends up? Rubber and some wear may put it right back in place just then tighter and hence fixed.

Leave you Wite Out marks so you can put it back where it was. If moving it makes it perfect again then decide to remove the Wite Out (it will harmlessly come off with fingernail or like a credit card.) AYOR on adjusting things. If done wrong door could end up so tight if closed hard it wont want to open!

These are things you adjust when fixing a car from say a collision or damage of some sort.

I've restored cars with wild attention to details. This is making total noise you said at the door and bet it's plain off for some reason?

Test that should be harmless and without risk is drive it on a bumpy road ad pull door pull tighter while it makes noise and see if that stops it? Strong clue door is plain too loose.

In this case should the rubber around door make up for that and can't now or just lost adjustment we don't know. BTW all new door rubber is expensive, sometimes hard to do or not available at all!

Other though and my understanding of this: Have you even driven a car when a door wasn't fully closed but on first click of latched shut? Many warn you, some don't but about all will rattle away, wind whistle or be noticed quickly.

If any question about doing anything and anal about appearance I would ask a real auto body shop to take a look.

This would bug me if what I think I would pursue fixing it if my own and for another (retired) now as it shouldn't really by that hard for a minor adjustment with no ill effects or looks,

I fiddled around with it as you suggested but nothing really jumped out at me. I am really inclined to think it's something with the window, not the door, because the squeaky sound sounds like glass rattling around. I also noticed a couple more things:

- Both window buttons can be clicked for a second and the windows go down the rest of the way by themselves (so you don't have to hold down the buttons). They both work fine. Driver window you can click it up for a second when you want it to go back up, however passenger window you have to hold the button for it to go up all the way. So perhaps something wrong with the wiring on that side.

- Passenger window also squeaks slightly when being lowered/raised (it's not the constant annoying rattling, but it sounds like when you clean windows at your house and you rub too hard and it squeaks around). Driver window is perfectly silent.

So these 2 small things combined with the original big issue lead me to believe that there's a problem with the window, maybe the area inside the door where it sits is messed up somehow. But the mechanic had said they couldn't see anything wrong with the window. What do you think?

You are probably right about the window. I'll venture the guess on the types (many out there) that finish travel with one push of a button are sensing the stop at the limit and might back off just a smidge.

Almost any window if part way from fully up or down is not as secure as the end of travel. I freak when people slam doors especially with a window part down at what's happening to all the garbage that's holding it in place which isn't all that strong.

Perhaps with door panel off and window operable such that you can watch you can see the issue or wiggle on glass and find the weak area to adjust (less likely than bending something on many now) or replace.

It might have had that glass replaced before you and just not totally right from being broken for whatever reason?

So - that leaves the answer will be found IMO by watching it with panel off and just what and how it's held in place at all ranges.

Don't be surprised that it's hard to get a good view of everything. There's almost always more metal still than holes to work thru even with panel totally off AND and wind or rain guard (usually plastic) to remove as well and will not like being removed or even missing if window was in fact replaced it's a pest to get that all in perfectly again and even have to use tapes if torn from messing with it - can't know till you look at that and then should find the issue.

Good luck. That's about all I can do until someone is looking right at it now with panel off,